In 1970, 46 women sued Newsweek magazine for gender discrimination in the workplace. When they were interviewed for their jobs they had been told that women did not write at Newsweek and if they wanted to write, they should go somewhere else.
According to many of the women involved in the lawsuit, the sexism they faced in the workplace was blatant-a slap on the rear from their boss, or a pass for a promotion to someone with fewer credentials and less experience.
Back then, many of the women admit, the discrimination they faced was easy to identify but even now, over 40 years later, woman in the workplace are still facing some of the same problems of sexual harassment and discrimination. The only thing is, now it is less obvious to spot.
In an interview conducted by a current female reporter at Newsweek, many women in the workplace still feel the same frustrations that women felt 40 years earlier. Many felt they were not being listened to; men with equal or lesser credentials were getting better assignments and faster promotions; and although there wasn’t the flagrant wandering hand, there was still the inappropriate off-handed comment made from time to time.
But it’s not just happening in the writing profession. Woman across the country are noticing that they may not be getting paid as well as a man in the same position. In some cases they are being passed up completely.
Experts abound point out that workplace discrimination and sexual harassment simply will not go away on their own; structural and organizational change coupled with societal change will be key to creating a more equal work environment in the future.
Source: The Star Tribune, “Women in the workplace: How ‘good girls’ fight back,” Lynn Povich, Oct. 9, 2012
